Drive device for displacing elements pertaining to a vehicle

ABSTRACT

Driver device for adjusting interior trim parts belonging to a motor vehicle, in particular parts of a motor vehicle seat, having an electric drive motor ( 10 ) that includes a first driven part ( 14 ) and a driven unit ( 16 ) driven by it having at least two couplings ( 18 ). 
     It is proposed that the driven unit ( 16 ) include a coupling actuator ( 20 ) for the selective actuation of at least two couplings ( 18 ).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The invention relates to a driver device for adjusting interior trimparts belonging to a motor vehicle, in particular, parts of a motorvehicle seat, according to the general class of the primary claim.

Driver devices are already known with which various interior trim partsof a motor vehicle can be adjusted using only one motor. Depending onthe number of interior trim parts to be adjusted, a corresponding numberof couplings will be used for this purpose that make an independentmotion of these interior trim parts possible.

A disadvantage of this is that each individual coupling must be actuatedusing a separate coupling actuator. This is a high material expenditurethat not only generates costs, but also entails a high complexity ofsuch driver devices.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The driver device according to the invention for adjusting interior trimparts belonging to a motor vehicle having the features of the primaryclaims not only has the advantage that various driven parts can bedriven by one single electric drive motor, it also has the furtherdecisive advantage that the various couplings required for this can becontrolled by way of only one coupling actuator.

This eliminates the need to use one coupling actuator for each coupling,which provides obvious weight and cost advantages. Moreover, the driverdevice can be designed to be very compact and relatively simple, whichrepresents a further advantage.

As a result of the measures indicated in the subclaims, advantageousfurther developments of the device according to the primary claim arepossible.

It is an advantage, for instance, if the driven unit includes a couplingcontrol shaft that cooperates with the coupling actuator and the atleast two couplings for the selective actuation of at least twocouplings. In a technically very simple form, this makes the selectiveactuation and/or control of the individual couplings possible by way ofthe central coupling actuator.

A further advantage is when the coupling control shaft includes camsthat are offset by 120° from each other when three couplings arepresent. The individual couplings can be actuated by adjusting thesecams; together with the coupling control shaft they represent a type ofextended arm of the coupling actuator.

Each of the at least two couplings includes a first coupling element anda second coupling element. When engaged, these two coupling elementsenter into a frictionally engaged connection and ensure that a rotarymotion caused by the drive motor is transmitted to the correspondingdriven parts. In order to ensure this transmission of the rotary motion,second driven parts are integrated in the first coupling elements in anadvantageous manner, which second driven parts are connected with thefirst driven part of the drive motor.

A toothed belt is suited for use to make the connection, but any type ofconnecting chain or direct connecting forms such as forms having gearsare also feasible.

The engagement of the second coupling elements in the rotating, firstcoupling elements of the at least two couplings with the aid of thecoupling control shaft makes a frictionally engaged connection possiblethat is transmitted to each of the third driven parts of the secondcoupling element.

Each of these third driven parts can include square sockets, forinstance, which are excellently suited to accommodate flexible shafts,for instance, in order to transmit the adjacent torques to therespective interior trim parts.

A further decisive advantage is produced when the at least two couplingsbasically lie on a line. Not only because the various couplings can thenbe controlled using a single control shaft, but also because thisarrangement of the driven parts allows the driver device to beintegrated in the existing seat structures and makes corresponding newdevelopments superfluous.

It is also advantageous when each of the second driven parts has adifferent diameter. This allows the reduction of the drive to vary, andit also provides a possibility for adjusting and adapting the variousinterior trim parts to be adjusted. For example, the fore/aft and heightadjustment of a motor vehicle seat will require greater effort thanadjusting the tilt of a seatback, for instance.

In general, the reduction can also be selected in such a way that theflexible shafts, for instance, with which torques are transmitted to theindividual interior trim parts, can rotate relatively slowly, therebyminimizing noise problems in advance.

The third driven parts of each of the second coupling elements can alsoinclude gears or similar parts, of course, that are suited totransmitting a torque.

DRAWING

The drawing shows a design example of a driver device according to theinvention. It is explained in greater detail in the subsequentdesciption.

FIG. 1 shows a sectional drawing of the design example with a connectionto a motor vehicle seat.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the area of the couplings, and

FIG. 3 shows a sectional drawing of the design example as well in a viewin the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIGN EXAMPLES

The driver device shown in FIG. 1 for adjusting interior trim partsbelonging to a motor vehicle includes an electric drive motor 10 havinga first driven part 14 situated on a shaft 12.

The drive motor 10 drives a driven unit 16 having three couplings18.1,18.2 and 18.3, a coupling actuator 20, and a coupling control shaft22. The coupling actuator 20 in this design example is an electric motorthat is connected to the control shaft 22 by way of a worm gearcomprising an endless screw 24 and a worm wheel 26. In operation, therotary motion of the coupling actuator 20 is transmitted to the controlshaft 22 by way of the worm gear, whereby the cams 28.1 through28.3—each of which is arranged on the control shaft 22 in such a waythat they are offset by 120° in relation to each other—are put intorotary motion. One of the three couplings 18.1 through 18.3 is actuated,depending on the position of the control shaft 22.

The details of the couplings 18.1 through 18.3 are shown in FIG. 2,whereby, for the sake of simplicity and greater clarity, the descriptionis limited to the middle of the three couplings 18.2, and the samefeatures are labelled with the same reference numbers. Since thecouplings are basically identical, this should be sufficient to providean understanding of the invention.

Each of the couplings 18.1 through 18.3 includes a first couplingelement 30 and a second coupling element 32. Integrated in each of thefirst coupling elements 30 are second driven parts 34 that are connectedwith each other and with the first driven part 14 of the electric drivemotor 10 by way of a toothed belt 36 (FIG. 1). They are supported inspherical cap bearings 35 in a rotatable manner so that, duringoperation of the electric drive motor 10, the first coupling elements 30can be driven by way of the toothed belt 36 and put into rotary motion.

The respective second coupling elements 32 have mushroom-shapedprojections that are formed on bearing journals 45 for the centricpositioning of the second coupling elements 32 in centrical openings ofthe first coupling elements 30. The respective other ends of the bearingjournals 45 include third driven parts 36 which, finally, transmit thetorque provided by the drive motor 10 to the parts of the seat 50 to beadjusted.

The rotary motion of the drive motor 10 is transmitted to the thirddriven parts 36 of the second coupling elements 32 by way of the seconddriven parts 34 of the first coupling elements 30 when the secondcoupling elements 32 are in a frictionally engaged connection with thefirst coupling elements 30.

This connection is made by the cams 28.1 through 28.3 of the controlshaft 22, whereby, depending on the position of the cams 28.1 through28.3, an interior surface 41 of one of the first coupling elements 30 isselectively pressed against the friction surfaces 40 of themushroom-shaped projection 43 of the second coupling element 32 againstthe force of one elastic spring 38 each. The interior surface and thefriction surface 40 are formed concentrically to the axis of therespective second coupling element 32. Each one forms the surface oftruncated cones, whereby the maximum torque to be transmitted can beincreased, and/or the required coupling force can be reduced.

In the design example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cam 28.1 actuates thefirst coupling 18.1, whereby the torque created by the drive motor 10 istransmitted by way of the third driven part 36 of the second couplingelement 32 in order to perform a tilt adjustment of a seatback 50 of amotor vehicle seat 52 in the direction of the arrow 1. With the firstcoupling 18.1, the torque is transmitted by way of a flexible shaft 42that extends into a square socket 44 of the third driven part 36.

The further driven parts 36 of the couplings 18.2 and 18.3 are connectedwith further seat components and make it possible to adjust the fore/aftposition of the motor vehicle seat 52 in the direction of the arrow 11,and to adjust the height of the motor vehicle seat 52 in the directionof the arrow III.

A gear 39 is also connected to the third driven part 36 of the secondcoupling 18.2, which, when the seat adjustment mechanism is configuredaccordingly, can be used in addition to the flexible shafts 42 totransmit the torques.

FIG. 3 shows the design example from FIG. 1 in the view in the directionof the arrow A shown in FIG. 1. The same features are labelled with thesame reference numbers in this case as well.

FIG. 3 clearly shows the endless screw 24 of the electric couplingactuator 20, which is engaged with the worm wheel 26 of the couplingcontrol shaft 22. Also shown is the first driven part 14 of the electricdrive motor 10, as well as the couplings 18.1 through 18.3.

Also shown is the path of the toothed belt 36, which connects the seconddriven parts 34.1 through 34.3 of each of the first coupling elements30.1 through 30.3, as well as the first driven part 14 with each other.Also shown are two tension pulleys 46.1 and 46.2 that are used, on theone hand, to tighten the toothed belt 36, and, on the other, to placethe toothed belt 36 around a greater circumference of the driven parts34.1 and 34.2.

The invention is not limited to the design example just described, ofcourse. The deciding factor is that only one coupling actuator isprovided to actuate multiple couplings.

What is claimed is:
 1. Driver device for adjusting interior trim partsbelonging to a motor vehicle having only one electric drive motor (10),which includes a first driven part (14), and having a driven unit (16)driven by said first driven part (14) having at least two couplings(18), characterized in that the driven unit (16) includes a couplingactuator (20) for the selective actuation of the at least two couplings(18.1, 18.1, 18.3), wherein the driven unit (16) includes a couplingcontrol shaft (22) with fixedly attached cams (28) for selectiveactuation of at least two couplings (18.1, 18.2, 18.3).
 2. Drive deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling shaft (22)cooperates with the coupling actuator (20) and the at least twocouplings (18.1, 18.2; 18.3) for the selective actuation of the at leasttwo couplings (18.1, 18.2, 18.3).
 3. Driver device according to claim 1,characterized in that each of the at least two couplings (18.1,18.2,18.3) includes a first coupling element (30) and a second couplingelement (32).
 4. Driver device according to claim 3, characterized inthat second driven parts (34) are integrated in each of the firstelements (30).
 5. Driver device according to claim 4, characterized inthat the first driven part (14) of the drive motor (10) is connectedwith the second driven parts (34) of each of the first coupling elements(30).
 6. Driver device according to claim 5, characterized in that theconnection is achieved by way of at least one toothed belt (37). 7.Driver device according to claim 3, characterized in that the secondcoupling elements (32) include third driven parts (36) for adjusting theinterior trim parts.
 8. Driver device according to claim 7,characterized in that the third driven parts (36) include square socketsto accommodate flexible shafts (42).
 9. Driver device according to claim1, characterized in that the at least two couplings (18) basically lieon a line.
 10. Driver device according to claim 4, characterized in thateach of the second driven parts (34) has a diameter, which is differentfrom a diameter of said first driven part.